Anita’s Desk…

Previously, I had a venting session about Cricket’s non-service, but now I want to talk about something that is very troubling to me.

The long arm of the law has forced every vehicle owner in this country to purchase auto insurance. Okay, on one level, maybe I can understand why. I mean, there are a lot of mega crazy drivers out there. But on another level, this was just a back door way to keep money and economic stability in the hands of the insurance companies.

Okay, it is what it is. As consumers, we are now forced to keep current auto insurance. But here’s the rub: Auto insurance companies have every right to mistreat us, scam us, and NOT follow through on their obligations. At any point, they can say, “Sorry, we are not going to cover that, but your premium is now due.” What Kind of crap is this that insurance companies are never held liable for their actions or lack there of?

Insurance companies have all of the power. They decide what to charge you according to your circumstances. They decide what to charge you according to the type of vehicle, where it’s parked, whether or not it was insured before, how old you are, what sex you are, how tall you are (okay, I’m kidding about that one, but you get the point). They get to pick our lives apart for insurance, the insurance we are forced to buy. They can insure us, or not. They can follow through on claims, or not. It’s their choice. We are at their mercy. Where is the fairness in this system?

Let me tell you a little about my recent experience. I had been insured with State Farm, specifically Chris Woodlee’s office, for a few years. This company, like many others, is “independently owned and operated”. Unfortunately for me, I was with an office that was full of drama. For the most part, the staff was nice enough. I met a couple of really nice agents there that ended up quickly leaving the office (I wonder why). However, I often felt a “you’re not good enough for us” attitude pouring out from random people in the way they spoke to me. This annoyed me.

A couple of months ago, my insurance was up for renewal. Initially, I was just going to switch offices. I found an office closer to me, and went to speak with the agent, Cathy S. Marks. I was not impressed with her “fakeness” that rolled off her like smoke.

She smiled and smiled in my face while planning other things behind my back. She informed me that I needed to go ahead and pay the current bill, and then they could switch my office. Does that even make sense? Why would that make sense if the offices are independent? I guess she thought I was stupid. I am often underestimated. She also said I should talk to the original agent about the situation. Why? Business is business and I have every right to go to the business of my choosing. She claimed she didn’t want to take one of his customers without talking to him. She said she has a professional respect for him. That’s wonderful! Too bad you don’t have any respect for your customers.

Later that evening, I received an email from Cathy stating she was very happy that I spoke with Chris and that we had come to an understanding. Now understand, I hadn’t spoken to anyone. That told me that this little winch was working behind my back. I wrote to both of them demanding to know what was going on. Chris eventually wrote back stating that Cathy did NOT want me as a customer, and did not want to insure me (he was stupid enough to put this in an email). The reality is than my fat, black behind, and my ‘95 van are not good enough for her office of “high status”. Whatever!! You’re a freakin’ barrel-scraping insurance agent… get a grip! Talk about me going “out of the frying pan and into the fire”!

Needless to say, I left State Farm, but I’m not finished with them yet. I was not the first to be treated that way, and I won’t be the last. I haven’t filed a complaint yet, but I will. Their behavior was completely unprofessional and inappropriate, but they do it on a regular basis. Why? Because they can. Insurance companies get away with all kinds of ridiculous behavior because they know consumers have no choice but to use them. That’s what the government has done for us. They have left us with our heads in a proverbial noose.

Some people don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to auto insurance. Past tickets, wrecks, or other incidents limit their choices to only a few. And because the law forces them to have auto insurance, they have to accept those few and deal with the consequences. Better quality insurance companies (if there is such a thing) often deny people that don’t have certain types of vehicles, or a certain financial or “appearance” status. So for us, it isn’t always as easy as just making the switch. So, what can we regular people do?

I wish I had the answer to that question. I am very angry about an insurance company having all of the power. This country is in a recession (or so I’m told), and insurance companies are the only ones with money. And the government has forced us to give it to them. We must give it to them regardless of how we are treated. It doesn’t matter if they reject every claim, give them the money. It doesn’t matter if they treat us inappropriately, give them the money. It doesn’t matter if they raise their rates for absolutely no reason, give them the money. It doesn’t matter if they drop is after making a payment, let them keep the money. We have ZERO rights when it comes to the helping hands of the insurance mogul, and we can thank the United States government for that. They have all the rights and no responsibilities. Snobby agents are encouraged to work for these companies, or maybe they’re just drawn to the field… like the snobby real estate agents.

If we don’t speak up, nothing will change. We are purchasing goods and services that we are forced to purchase, and we have no rights. We are more proactive when we get a bad sandwich at McDonald’s. WE have to find a way to take back control. Even I should have filed a complaint before now, but I didn’t. But that won’t be enough. We have to go higher… to the city and state governments and above. We have to speak up and out against the policies and treatment of these companies. If we don’t, who will?

Thank you for reading.

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